Apr 15, 2015 Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art invites visitors to celebrate Mother’s Day Weekend at the Museum. New York Times bestseller Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist will kick off the weekend with a Spotlight Lecture featuring a special cocktail reception on Friday, May 8. In celebration of National Public Garden Day on Saturday, May 9, the museum presents Crystal Bridge’s Garden Party, a free event with outdoor activities, presenters, a chalk festival, live music, trail tours, and a native plant market, among other events. Alongside Garden Party activities, Crystal Bridges will launch its highly anticipated Outdoor App, featuring interactive trail maps, a plant guide, sculpture guide, photo sharing, and more. High South Brunch will complete a Mother’s Day extravaganza, served Sunday, May 10, from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm in Eleven. Reservations are recommended. May also offers classes, workshops, lectures, conversations, performances, and a new trail tour. Current exhibitions include Fish Stories: Early Images of American Game Fish, Georgia O’Keeffe: See What I See, on view through May 10, and the acclaimed Van Gogh to Rothko: Masterworks from the Albright Knox Gallery, which concludes at the end of the month. A full listing of May programs is below. Information and registration are also available on Crystal Bridges’ calendar of events. Sign up for Crystal Bridges email updates at ENewsletter. NEW Summer Blooms Trail Experience (May 18 – July 17) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11:30 am Summer offers a glorious display of wildflowers throughout the museum grounds, but especially in the meadow area near the Skyspace. The tour will begin at the south lobby and will make its way up the paved Art Trail. Includes some hills, but is well worth the walk! Sponsored by The Coleman Company. Follows a paved trail, includes a steep incline. Please wear appropriate footgear. No registration is required. Friday, May 1, noon to 6 pm Saturday, May 2, 10 am to 6 pm Museum Store Featured Guest » James Zigras James Zigras is president and founder of Avant Mining, based in Blue Springs, Arkansas. With 11,400 acres of property, it is the largest quartz crystal mining company in the world and produces the world’s finest quartz crystals. Zigras will bring a selection of his most stunning specimens, which will be available for purchase during this event. Free, no registration required. Friday, May 1, 8 to 11:30 pm Super Iconic Party of the Century Celebrate the ICONS of art with Crystal Bridges’ College Ambassadors! Enjoy free admission to the exhibition Van Gogh to Rothko and engage in “Dead Day” Dialogues in the gallery with art professors—including Leo Mazow and Ana Pullido Rull from the University of Arkansas—as they campaign on behalf of their favorite artists. Come dressed in your hippest avant-garde formalwear. Or, if that just isn’t your style, take a fashion note from the ICONIC comic stylings of Pop Art. We will select a few fashion winners who will earn an ICONIC bracelet by Grey Dog vintage boutique. Enjoy SUPER SONIC performances by Goose and National Park Radio, and dance in an Silent Disco DJ face-off between DJ Dionysus (Devin O’Dea) and DJ Apollo (Martel Jackson). Throw your literary weight of iconic poets with Houston Hughes Word Warriors set amongst the backdrop of large-scale abstract paintings. Join our fablab art-ma king space to try an experiment with screen print facilitated by local artist and John Brown University Professor Bobby Martin. Meet up with local ceramicist Linda Lopez (recently featured in the exhibition State of the Art) to talk about her contemporary sculpture. Special thanks to the Crystal Bridges College Ambassador student team for organizing this event, and to the guidance of the University of Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas Community College, John Brown University, and the University of Central Arkansas. There will also be a special recognition during the event of the design work done by students of the E. Fay Jones School of Architecture for the Bachman Wilson House, an ICONIC home designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and currently being reconstructed on the Museum Grounds. The event is for ages 16 and up. Cash Bar available for ages 21 and up, (please show I.D.) Nomad’s Food Truck will be onsite next to the National Park Radio Stage. Free with online registration. Monday, May 4 and 18, 1 to 3 pm Figure Drawing Join us on the first and third Mondays of each month for this adult Figure Drawing class to draw from a clothed model. Whether you’ve always had a love for figure drawing or are trying it for the first time, you’ll enjoy an afternoon drawing with other guests at the Museum. Participants must be 14 and older. A variety of drawing materials will be provided, and model poses will include both shorter warm-up poses, and longer poses. All materials are provided. $10 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. Monday, May 4, 6 to 7 pm Yoga and Art Yoga Story’s Cindee Joslin leads an uplifting group class uniting the power of art with the beauty of nature. Enjoy this mind/body experience in the museum’s public spaces, complemented by views of Crystal Bridges’ ponds, forest, and architecture. Participants should bring their own yoga mat and dress appropriately. $5 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. Wednesday, May 6, 13, and 20, 1 to 2:15 pm Preschool Art Class » Wild! Wilderness will be our muse in this three-session series. Investigate the wilderness and its inhabitants inside and outside of the museum and create new artworks with your findings. Parents or caregivers participate with their preschoolers in gallery conversations and art-making activities each week. For ages 3 to 5 with an adult. Session includes three consecutive Wednesday classes. All materials are provided. $30 ($24 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. Mother’s Day Weekend at Crystal Bridges Friday, May 8, 7:30 to 8:30 pm Spotlight Lecture » The Drunken Botanist Amy Stewart, New York Times best-selling author of The Drunken Botanist, will discuss the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol. Her book is a fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology—with more than fifty drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners. Early admission to the lecture, from 6:30-7:30 pm, includes a special cocktail reception with a cash bar featuring mixed drinks from Stewart’s book. Lecture starts at 7:30 pm with opening remarks by Crystal Bridges’ Director of Culinary Services, Case Dighero. A book signing will follow the presentation. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335. Friday, May 8, through Monday, May 11 Museum Store » Members Double Discount Days Crystal Bridges Members will receive double discounts (20% off) on all purchases during this special four-day event. (Discounts do not apply to works by Chihuly Workshops.) Friday, May 8, noon to 6 pm and Saturday, May 9, 10 am to 6 pm Museum Store » Featured Artisan Showcase: Daaman Porcelain and Valerie Sanson Come browse the latest collection of colorful porcelain jewelry by Daaman Porcelain and Valerie Sanson’s Painting with Stones jewelry line. Valerie Sanson has combined her background as an artist with her admiration for Mother Nature’s infinite kaleidoscope of colors and textures into Painting with Stones, a unique jewelry line that includes colorful and inventive necklaces, pins, and bracelets, available in a range of prices and styles. Jeff and Judy Goodwin create their porcelain jewelry using an oriental technique known as neriage First, carefully designed loaves are formed from colored porcelain clay. The artists slice cross-sections from these loaves and shape them into individual pieces of jewelry which are glazed and fired. A 22kt gold edging is applied to create a durable, wearable piece of art. Member Bonus: Crystal Bridges Members receive double discounts (20%) on all Store purchases this weekend (works by Chihuly Workshop not included). Free, no registration required. Friday, May 8, 6:30 to 8:30 pm TEN: Swing Dance on Walker Landing High school students are invited to come out to Walker Landing to learn to swing dance in this fun evening organized by the Museum’s Teen Council. Free, no registration required Saturday, May 9, 16, and 23, 10:30 am to noon Young Artists Class » Critter Creations (ages 5 to 10) Each week, we’ll discuss a different artwork from our galleries that features an animal, and use our sketchbooks to respond to this work with a new artistic approach. All materials provided. $45/3 classes ($36 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. Saturday, May 9, noon to 4 pm Crystal Bridges Garden Party: A Celebration of National Public Garden Day Come out to Crystal Bridges’ beautiful trails and grounds to celebrate National Public Garden Day with fun-filled outdoor activities, events, and presenters. This multi-faceted event will include a chalk festival, live music by the Block Street Hotclub and the Squarshers, earth-art making, trail tours, and outdoor scavenger hunts, plus a native plant market, a performance by The Artists Laboratory Theatre, a drum circle, and regional artist Craig Colorusso’s Sun Boxes, among other events. Regional partners such as the Ozark Natural Science Center and the Illinois River Watershed Project, as well as other experts in the flora and fauna of Northwest Arkansas will be here to share information and interact with guests, and award-winning garden writer Amy Stewart will give an illustrated presentation on her popular book Wicked Plants, followed by a demonstration of shrub-drink-making! In addition, Crystal Bridges will launch its highly anticipated Outdoor App for Apple and Android devices—featuring interactive trail maps, a plant guide, sculpture guide, photo sharing, and more! Free, no registration required. For a full list of musical entertainment, visit here. Monday, May 11, 11 am to 12:30 pm Journaling Group » Writing from Nature Take a walk on the trails of Crystal Bridges to reflect and write. Find rejuvenation in expressing your thoughts outdoors on paper. Poet and Northwest Arkansas Community College Professor, Curtis Harrell, will guide the experience following prompts from the great American naturalists Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and John Muir. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335. Wednesday, May 13, 6 to 7 pm Boundless Book Club » Birds of America: Stories by Lorrie Moore This is the first of two Boundless Book Club readings of short story collections. Moore’s stories are powerful and very well written. Although at times emotional, the human spirit is beautifully revealed in the author’s wonderful poetic prose. Read one or more stories, and enjoy an evening of rich discussion with reference librarian Jim Everett. Coffee, wine, or other beverages from the Museum coffee bar are welcome. Free with online registration. Wednesday, May 13 and 27, 6:30 to 8:30 pm Figure Drawing from the Nude Model Join us on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month for this adult figure drawing class with a nude model. A variety of drawing materials will be provided, and model poses will include both shorter warm-up poses, and longer poses. Participants must be 18 or older. (Note: Figure Drawing sessions with a clothed model are offered on the first and third Mondays of each month, and are open to participants ages 14 and up; please check the calendar for dates and time.) $10 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. Wednesday, May 13, 7 to 8 pm Live Arts » Tulsa Opera presents Shining Brow Daron Hagen’s 1993 opera Shining Brow explores the life of the brilliant and controversial architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In an original libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, the opera vividly portrays the important people and events in the Wright’s tumultuous life, culminating in a finale the Milwaukee Journal called, “as devastating as anything in opera.” Tulsa Opera presents Hagen’s own chamber version of the opera, which was commissioned by Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and performed at Wright’s famed Fallingwater home in 2013. This 70-minute Tulsa Opera Studio production is directed by Stephanie Havey, and will be staged outdoors on the Museum’s Walker Landing. Free with online registration. Thursday, May 14, 11:30 am to 2 pm Preschool Playdate » Fishy Monthly Preschool Playdates feature art projects, storytime, and creative play inspired by the museum’s permanent collection or temporary exhibitions. Activities are geared for children ages 2 to 5 with an adult, and begin with a live performance in the Great Hall at 11:30 a.m. Sponsored by The Hershey Company. Free, no registration required. Thursday, May 14, 5:30 to 7:30 pm Art Ride Enjoy an art bike ride along the Crystal Bridges Trail. We’ll make sculpture stops along the way at A Place Where They Cried, by Jerry Carr and Pat Musick; and at SunKissed, a sculpture by Nathan Pierce that was recently installed by the Bentonville Public Art Advisory Committee on the North Bentonville Trail. Dayton Castleman, Museum Manager of 21c Museum Hotel and member of the Public Art Committee, will lead the ride and give a short talk at each sculpture. The bike ride starts at Compton Gardens, leaving at 5:30 p.m. After the ride finishes around 7:30 p.m., please feel free to join Castleman for post-ride drinks at 21c’s The Hive Restaurant Lounge. Free, no registration required. Friday, May 15, 6:30 to 8:30 pm Photo Salon » Yosemite National Park Photography Dan Snow, commercial and fine art photographer, explores the landscape of Yosemite through the art of photography. Gain inspiration from photographers who popularized Yosemite National Park—from Carlton Watkins, whose work is currently on view in the museum, to Ansel Adams. After viewing works in the galleries, Snow will lead the group on a photography adventure to capture Crystal Bridges’ landscape. Snow is an Adjunct Professor at Northwest Arkansas Community College in photography and graphic design, and an instructor at the New Design School and Bedford Camera and Video. $10 (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. Friday, May 15, 7 to 8 pm Architecture Speaker Series » Jeff Shannon: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House—A New Perspective Meet the former Dean of the E. Fay Jones School of Architecture, Jeff Shannon. Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1910 Robie House is generally seen as the “ultimate expression of the Prairie House.” While it is true that Robie offers a particularly powerful synthesis of the major features of Wright’s evolving type, most interpretations underestimate the impact that the site and context had in determining the final form of the house. Through detailed analyses, this presentation demonstrates that Wright had to distort the typical characteristics of the Prairie House in order to accommodate the pressures and constraints of site and context. It is argued that Wright’s successful resolution of this struggle between type and context/site presented one of the greatest design challenges of his young career and elicited one of his most creative and ingenious responses. Shannon argues that the greatness of the Robie House derives, in part, from Wright’s ability to create the illusion of the “apex of the Prairie House” when in fact the site made such a literal goal impossible. Sponsored by Chip and Susan Chambers. $10, (Free for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. Saturday, May 16, 10 am to 6 pm Museum Store » Featured Artisan: Ron Mynatt Ron Mynatt’s hand-blown decorative and functional glass pieces feature an intricate use of color and particular attention to the interaction of transparency and reflectivity. His work varies widely, including vases, bowls, paper weights, and perfume bottles, as well as custom glass creations. Mynatt will showcase some one-of-a-kind pieces that will be available for purchase during the event. Free, no registration required. Saturday, May 16, 10 am to 4 pm Discover the Grounds Workshop » The Art of Plant Propagation Crystal Bridges welcomes renowned organic farmer Barry Glick of Sunshine Farms and Garden to guide us through the hands-on practice of plant mating. Glick will take participants through a step-by-step process on virtually every method of plant propagation, from seed collecting and sowing to tissue culture. Sponsored by The Coleman Company. $20 ($16 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. Sunday, May 17, 1 to 3 pm Nature Talk and Walk » Woodland Wonders by Botanist Barry Glick Sunshine Gardens’ botanist Barry Glick shares an entertaining and educational look at some of the wildflowers and other plants that we overlook on our woodland hikes and in our own backyards through a fascinating photographic presentation. After his 45-minute lecture, he’ll take the group for “wild” walk on Crystal Bridges’ grounds. Barry Glick is a founding member of the North American Plant Preservation Council. At his West Virginia mountaintop farm, Sunshine Farm and Gardens, he grows tens of thousands of plants for retail and wholesale, and for seed production. In his tissue-culture lab, he experiments genetically to produce new and better plants. When he is not on the farm working with plant propagation, Barry is lecturing and writing articles about native plants, propagation techniques, and hellebores. He has a vast collection of more than 10,000 taxa and exchanges seeds, plants, and horticultural information with organizations throughout the world. See Barry’s website for more info: www.sunfarm.com. Free with online registration. Sunday, May 17, 4 to 5 pm Spotlight Lecture » Morgan Falconer: What Can Painting Do? (And what it can’t) Morgan Falconer, author of Beyond Pollock, is an art historian, critic, and faculty member at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Much of the debate about painting in the past few decades has turned on whether it is alive or dead—whether photographic and digital media have left it redundant, or whether it still has a role to play. There have been fewer attempts to consider what the medium can uniquely deliver that other media cannot—and vice versa. Some people prefer the invention and rich sensuousness of paint over the smooth, realistic detail of the photograph—is that just a personal preference or does it point to something more complex? In this lecture, Falconer explores that question while surveying the history of painting, from Jackson Pollock to the present day. Following the lecture, Falconer will be available to sign copies of his book, which will be available from the Museum Store. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335. Monday, May 18, 1:30 to 2:30 pm The Great Reveal: Botanical Illustration Books Come botanize with us! View the beautiful rare botanical illustrations of some of the greatest nineteenth-century botanists, such as Benjamin Smith Barton, Thomas Nuttall, Jacob Bigelow, and others. Then stay after for a bit of “botanizing” on the grounds of the Museum. The session will be led by Library Director Catherine Petersen and botanist Lora L. Shadwick, PhD. (an affiliate of the University of Arkansas Department of Biological Sciences). Shadwick primarily studies amoebozoan slime molds, but she has a lifelong interest in all things botanical, especially native plants, herbs, garden vegetables, fungi, and protists. Free with online registration Monday, May 18, 1 to 2 pm Art Talk » Dylan Turk: Art and Place: The Evolution of Sculpture This guided tour by Curatorial Assistant Dylan Turk will explore the evolution of sculpture in the twentieth century. Discuss with Turk the shifts you notice in sculpture after World War II and ways the artists’ environments influence the sculpture making. Begin on Walker Landing to view Keith Haring’s Two-Headed Figure and discuss the language of urban culture. Next, explore the scale and form of Abstract Expressionism as expressed by Mark di Suvero’s industrialized perspective. Finally, end with Ursula von Rydingsvard, who embraces contemporary sculpture by juxtaposing the organic and the industrial. Free, no registration required. Wednesday, May 20, 6 to 7 pm WOW » Fish Stories: Early Images of American Game Fish Please join Crystal Bridges Culinary Director Case Dighero as he welcomes special guests to discuss this exciting exhibition, the art of fly fishing, and iconic recipes for preparing Ozark game fish. Open to guests ages 21 and above. Sponsored by Premier Dermatology and Reidel. $30 ($24 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335. Thursday, May 21, 6:30 to 7 pm Member Meet and Greet with Alice Aycock Crystal Bridges Members are invited to a Members-only Meet and Greet with artist Alice Aycock, at her monumental sculpture Maelstrom (Module 3) of Park Avenue Paper Chase, which is currently on loan to Crystal Bridges. Free with registration online or by calling the Member Priority Line 479.418.5728. Registration for the lecture is required separately. Thursday, May 21, 8 to 9 pm Spotlight Conversation with Artist Alice Aycock Alice Aycock—creator of the monumental sculpture Maelstrom (Module 3) of Park Avenue Paper Chase, which was recently installed on the museum grounds— will take part in an onstage conversation with Curator Chad Alligood. The conversation will feature highlights from Aycock’s impressive artistic journey from the 1970s to today. Aycock’s large, semi-architectural works deal with the interaction of structure, site, materials, and the psychophysical responses of the viewer. The artist’s sculptures explore paradigms, cybernetics, phenomenology, physics, post-structuralism, psychoanalysis, information overload, outdated scientific thinking, and computer programming to create a “complex” that is architectural and sculptural as well as mental and emotional. Aycock’s sculptures are exhibited around the globe. Free with online registration. Friday, May 22, 7 to 8 pm Live Arts » Multimedia Concert, Read and Repeat The Fuse Project presents Read and Repeat—a multimedia concert featuring new work composed specifically for the Fuse Project and Crystal Bridges. The composer will be selected through a call for scores open to composers of all nationalities and ages. Each of the other works on the program will serve as cornerstones of Minimalist music by the United States’ most prominent Minimalist composers. The music will be paired with real-time video art that responds to both rhythm and harmony and creates an integrated audiovisual experience for the audience. The performance includes: ● Composer TBA Fanfare (a short piece selected through a national Call for Scores composed for two violins) ● Terry Riley, Olson III | *Arkansas Premiere, Regional Premiere ● Steve Reich, “Clapping Music” | *Arkansas Premiere ● Philip Glass, “Piece in the Shape of a Square” | *Arkansas Premiere, Regional Premiere Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335 Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, 10 am to 6 pm & Monday, May 25, 10:30 am to 6 pm Museum Store » Featured Artisan: Jim Young Pottery Wheel Demonstration An award-winning potter and member of the Arkansas Craft Guild, Jim Young has been a stoneware potter for more than 40 years and a pottery teacher for 38 years. Young’s work is influenced by travels in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, as well as his beloved Ozark Mountains. He enjoys sharing the beauty of his home in Northwest Arkansas through the flowing shapes and earth tones of his functional pottery. Observe Young at work as he demonstrates his skills at the pottery wheel during this three-day demonstration and sale. Free, no registration required. Sunday, May 24, 1 to 3 pm Walker Landing Arts Enjoy music by the new local group 38 Degrees North, plus outdoor art-making for all ages. Free, no registration required. Wednesday, May 27, 5 to 9 pm Artinfusion @ Culture Hour Get together with artinfusion Members and friends at a special Culture Hour just for you! Artinfusion Members and friends are invited to come together on the fourth Wednesday of each month to meet and mingle during Culture Hour in Eleven. Enjoy networking, complimentary nosh, and $5 drink specials in Eleven, then stroll the galleries while they are open late. Culture Hour special pricing typically ends at 7 pm, but on these fourth Wednesdays we extend the deals for artinfusion Members (with proof of membership) until 9 pm. Bring a friend! Artinfusion is especially for ages 21 – 40s. Artinfusion is sponsored by Blue Moon Brewing Company, Arvest, and RopeSwing. Free, no registration required. Wednesday, May 27, 7 to 9:30 pm Live Arts » Film + Performance: EUREKA! The Art of Being EUREKA! The Art of Being explores the artistry in all of us through the creativity and camaraderie of the art community in Eureka Springs, Arkansas – a town of 2,000 people tucked away in the Ozarks where over 300 artists, musicians and writers call home. The film screening will be followed by a post-discussion with the filmmaker, L. Kai Roberts, and guest artists featured in the film. Opening the event is a special performance by Native American flute payer John Two Hawks from 7 to 7:30 p.m. and an artwork showcase by Eureka Springs artists featured in the film. Sponsored by Demara Titzer and the Legacy Fayetteville Condominiums. Free, register online or by calling Guest Services at 479-657-2335. Saturday, May 30, noon to 4 pm Museum Store Featured Artisan » Edward C. Robison III Edward C. Robison III began his artistic quest as a painter, and brings a painter’s vision for color, composition, and scope to his photographic palette. The photographs not only reflect his keen eye, they communicate his deep love of nature with an underlying theme of conservation for natural resources. Robison will be in the Museum Store to sign copies of his new book Ozark Landscapes: An Augmented Reality Project. Robison’s book is an interactive experience; several images contain hidden interactive content, accessible via an augmented reality app. Free, no registration required. Saturday, May 30, 1 to 4 pm Drop-In Art Making » Fish Prints Make a print of your favorite fish from the temporary exhibition Fish Stories: Early Images of American Game Fish. Join us in the studio to learn a do-it-yourself method of fish printing inspired by traditional Japanese method called Gyotaku. All materials provided. Free, no registration required. Saturday, May 30, 1 to 2 pm Art Talk » The Simple Pleasures of Still Life with Curator Manuela Well-Off-Man Discuss with Curator Manuela Well-Off-Man the temporary exhibition, American Encounters: The Simple Pleasures of Still Life. We will look at how still life embodies both a love for the material objects of the world and an expression of the fleeting nature of all human life and experience. Free, no registration required Sunday, May 31, 1 to 4 pm Drop-In Drawing » Springtime at the Museum Drop in anytime between 1 and 4 p.m. for a free, informal drawing session on drawing the Spring environment of Crystal Bridges. Materials are provided and an art instructor will be on hand to get you started. Check at Guest Services for the specific location. All ages are welcome! Free, no registration required. Monday, June 1, 9 to 11 am Members’ Last Look » Van Gogh to Rothko: Masterworks from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery Crystal Bridges Members are invited to a Members-only Last Look for Van Gogh to Rothko: Masterworks from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Free with registration online or by calling the Member Priority Line 479.418.5728.
